Mackay Struggling To Conquer Mistakes

October 25, 1998|By JOHN KENNEDY The Orlando Sentinel

TALLAHASSEE — Democrat Buddy MacKay, a self-described policy wonk, earned the nickname ``Mr. Inside'' in Gov. Lawton Chiles' administration by lifting the hood and tinkering with the engine of state government.

But like a balky roadster, ``Mr. Inside'' is sputtering and lurching as he tries to morph into ``Mr. Outside,'' the warm, crafty role played by Chiles the past eight years.

With the governor's race into the home stretch, polls show MacKay trailing Republican Jeb Bush. After half a lifetime in politics, MacKay's career may come to a crashing end unless he can turn around his campaign.

``Lawton is a tough act to follow,'' MacKay, 65, said. ``But in politics you play the hand you're dealt.''

Under Chiles, MacKay was dealt plenty of cards _ dramatically overhauling the usually do-nothing office of lieutenant governor.

After Hurricane Andrew hit Miami-Dade County, MacKay was sent to oversee the rebuilding effort. When the state's social services system was plagued by mismanagement, MacKay was tapped to straighten it out.

With Miami teetering on bankruptcy, MacKay was the point-man on the recovery. And when voters approved a new Department of Elder Affairs to help Florida's seniors, MacKay helped set up shop.

MacKay said he is proudest of several administration programs. Chiles-MacKay dramatically increased health screening for poor children and pregnant women, launched the massive Everglades restoration effort and created Orlando-based Enterprise Florida as an economic development engine.

MacKay even drew praise from Republicans for heading the administration's efforts to cut government red tape by eliminating thousands of cumbersome and outdated state rules.

``Buddy, in a very real sense, has better credentials to be governor than Lawton Chiles,'' said John McKeever, a friend and former law partner. ``I'm just hopeful that voters will understand that.''

Jim Kirk, 71, a Republican former mayor of MacKay's hometown of Ocala, says this about his longtime friend:

``You look at Buddy's overall experience, and you realize he's done it all. He's a decent man. But I know he's got a real uphill battle if he's going to win this thing.''

Buddy's worst enemy

In many ways, MacKay has helped build that steep hill himself, party insiders say.

He has generated little passion or loyalty among Democrats at a time when he most needs his party. Even as the governor's campaign began, unenthused Democrats searched for an alternative.

In the final week of his race against Jeb Bush, the question dogs Florida's lieutenant governor: Is there something about Buddy MacKay's style of leadership that has turned off key factions of his party?

The answer, according to some party insiders, is yes.

Ironically, the attribute that gives strength to MacKay _ his experience _ also could be his undoing.

MacKay made his way in politics by having to run some brutal ``scorched earth'' primary campaigns. The victims of those campaigns _ and their constituents _ do not forget.

Even those who wanted to join the MacKay bandwagon say he didn't bother making them feel needed. When describing his style, they use words like ``aloof.''

And they agree with MacKay that Chiles is a tough act to follow. Granted, Chiles brought stature to the governor's office by having served for years as a popular U.S. senator. But one of the keys to Chiles' success, Democrats say, has been his ability to make them feel needed.

A quick thank-you note for helping to pass a bill. A pat on the back. A returned phone call.

Those are all lessons that may be too late for MacKay to learn, they say.

Despite this recurring theme within his own party, though, MacKay drives ahead, hoping that his message will fire up Floridians in the final few days before the election.

With Bush and the state Republican Party outstripping MacKay and the Democrats by a 3-to-1 margin in fund raising, MacKay will need a fantastic finish to overcome the odds.

Solid experience

MacKay's campaign is built around his 26 years of political experience and a pledge to steer $1.3 billion more toward public schools. He calls education a central purpose of government.

But on the campaign trail, MacKay's long stint in Florida government has proved a mixed blessing. It's a penalty one pays for having a long record in government _ something his opponent has not had to worry about.

While MacKay was busy as ``Mr. Inside,'' in the administration, Bush continued to build on the well-organized campaign structure he used in 1994, when he lost to Chiles in the tightest governor's race in Florida's history.

During this campaign, Bush has attacked MacKay, saying he is full of ``tired ideas'' about big government, such as the Democrat's plan to pour more money into the public school system. On top of that, MacKay is vulnerable to attacks from special interests who may not have liked decisions out of Chiles' office.